Rajasthan launches Bharat Taxi cooperative in Jaipur with fares 10-15% below Ola and Uber
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma formally launched Bharat Taxi — India's cooperative ride-hailing platform — in Jaipur on Saturday at an event held at the Bhagwat Singh Mehta Auditorium on the OTS campus. The launch represents a significant push toward an alternative transport model that promises fares between ten and fifteen per cent lower than those charged by established private competitors, with thirty thousand drivers and seven lakh customers already enrolled since the platform's soft launch in the state capital.
CM Bhajanlal Sharma flags off cooperative taxi at OTS campus event
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma flagged off Bharat Taxi in Jaipur on Saturday, marking the formal launch of India's cooperative ride-hailing platform in the state capital. The ceremony took place at the Bhagwat Singh Mehta Auditorium located on the OTS campus, with Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol present as a guest, reflecting the central government's backing for the cooperative transport initiative. Bharat Taxi operates under a cooperative structure that sets it apart from the venture-capital-backed platforms that dominate the Indian ride-hailing market. This model means drivers hold a stake in the enterprise and stand to benefit more directly from fares rather than operating purely as service providers earning a percentage of each ride. The platform promises fares that are ten to fifteen per cent lower than those charged by Ola and Uber, a pricing advantage that could make it attractive to price-conscious commuters in Jaipur. The choice of a cooperative framework reflects a broader national conversation about the terms under which gig economy workers participate in platform-driven markets, and the political support for Bharat Taxi from both state and central government officials underscores the initiative's alignment with cooperative economic policy. The launch in Jaipur positions the city as a key pilot location for the platform's expansion across Rajasthan and potentially other states. [2]
🏢 Bharat Taxi launches with 100 cabs, 30,000 drivers and 7 lakh customers nationwide
The formal launch of Bharat Taxi in Jaipur was accompanied by an initial fleet of one hundred cabs, signaling a measured but meaningful start to the cooperative platform's commercial operations in the Rajasthan capital. According to an official statement, more than thirty thousand drivers have joined the Bharat Taxi platform in the period since its soft launch in Jaipur, demonstrating substantial uptake among drivers who see the cooperative model as offering better terms than existing ride-hailing platforms. On the customer side, approximately seven lakh individuals have registered with the service, providing a significant base of potential riders ahead of the platform's full commercial rollout. The Deccan Herald noted the July 26 launch date, placing the event within the context of India's growing interest in cooperative economic models as alternatives to purely commercial, investor-driven enterprises in the gig economy space. These registration figures suggest that Bharat Taxi has already built meaningful momentum during its soft launch phase, and that the formal launch in Jaipur is intended to accelerate growth rather than mark a beginning from zero. The platform's expansion to Rajasthan and its formal flagging off by the state's chief minister places Bharat Taxi in the political spotlight as both a transport solution and a demonstration of cooperative economic principles in action. [3]
Sources: [2] Swarajya · [3] Deccan Herald